This week, WOW!’s CEO Colleen Abdoulah posted an article on our employee blog. It tells the story of what makes WOW! unique and I thought I would share pieces of it with our community visitors. As a Company, we speak about our core values – Respect, Integrity, Accountability and Servanthood. We talk about Leading with Courage, Serving with Heart and Celebrating with Grace. We try to influence, but really have no control the attitudes or the ‘mindset’ of an employee.
Colleen starts her article this way: “As you know, mindset simply refers to a person’s outlook – their attitude, approach, or way of thinking. During these times, we know there are many people and companies of all sizes who are struggling. This past quarter, another 500,000 people became unemployed. It is no wonder we may experience people whose mindset is negative, defeated, desperate, anxious and maybe even bitter.”
The year 2009 was a tough one, but WOW! managed to meet its budget plan and financial commitments. The first half of 2010 so far not much easier, but our performance is still meeting expectations and our owners and investors have not lost confidence in us. Why is this? How is it possible?
Says Colleen, “It is not because we are the low price provider. It is not because our cost structure is less than our competitors. It is not because we have an easy budget and low expectations from our owners and lenders. It is not because we have technology and products that no one else has. So why and how do we continue to create value, sustain our market position, provide growth opportunities that allow us to build new plant – all during times that are tight and difficult for so many? Is it because we have it easy with all the resources in the world to just coast along on our past successes? Of course not. For me, how and why we are able to achieve these things is anchored in our MINDSET.”
“Yes, technology matters. Systems integration is critical. Processes and procedures that help us learn and do things faster and better are essential. Our products and services need to keep pace with ever-changing consumer expectations. But choosing to serve one another instead of competing or blaming opens the way for ideation and innovation. And at the foundation of it all is each and every team member’s chosen outlook – how we choose to approach our day and the obstacles and opportunities that are presented. The attitude we each project to one another and our customers is unique. With all the uncertainty in life, each of us has control over how we choose to respond. And what a mindset we have at WOW!.” It is not our products and services that are differentiators – it is each of US that makes WOW! unique.
At the end of her article, Colleen invited comments from employees, asking what and who had influence over their mindsets every day. I wish the community readers could see employee responses – tThey are numerous, genuine and inspirational. What I’ve learned over nine years with WOW! is that this positive mindset, this can-do attitude, this ‘how can I help approach’ is a self-fulfilling prophecy. As Colleen says, a strong business plan and sound technology are critical to our business, but it is our spirit and our attitudes that set us apart from our competitors.
. It all starts with the hiring and screening process. The HR department does an extremely thorough job of making sure the candidates for hire, fit in with the culture that WOW! has established. This doesn’t mean that the potential employee needs to be overly qualified for the position but it means that the attitude they bring will also fit in.
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